The News

Windy City Opry and Lethbridge Folk Club open new year this week

Tuesday, 09 January 2018 11:25
Richard Amery

Things start to pick up this week with two major concert series starting the new year this week.

First up, The Windy City Opry returns to the Slice with a slate of performers including former Lethbridgian Kory Istace, fellow Saskatoon based tour mate Aryn El Hefe and Red Deer‘s Boots and the hoots, whose founder Boots Graham started the Pinecone Opry in Red Deer and inspired Shaela Miller to start a similar series in the Windy City Opry. As always the evening begins at 8 p.m. sharp. There is a $10 cover charge.

The Lethbridge Folk Club rock in the new year with frenetic piano powered Calgary based rockabilly trio Peter and the Wolves, who play the Lethbridge College Cave, Saturday, Jan. 13. That show also begins at 8 p.m. sharp.

The Folk Club also has their first open mic of the Year at Casa, Friday night at 7;30 p.m. The Owl Acoustic Lounge has a busy week as usual. The Bryant Watson duo return, Friday, Jan. 12. The next night things get loud and a little weird with Lethbridge’s MTBC and pop band Open Channels plus Calgary rock and roll group the Night Committee.

Kory Istace returns to play Windy City Opry this week

The Windy City Opry welcomes back an old friend to open up the 2018 edition of the popular roots music series.

Kory Istace returns to Lethbridge, Wednesday, Jan. 10, to play a big show with Aryn El Hefe and Boots and the Hoots.

“It’s been about five years since I was in Lethbridge,” observed Istace from Saskatoon, where he has called home for the past three years. He lived in Lethbridge for many years, while attending the U of L in 1998 and used to play with Windy City Opry founder Shaela Miller quite a bit.

“I want to start something like the Windy City Opry in Saskatoon and Boots (Graham of Boots and the Hoots who has the Pinecone Opry in Red Deer, which inspired Shaela Miler to start a similar series here) will be there too. So I look forward to to picking their brains about it,” he said, noting he has been busy not only writing music, but finishing up a two year contract as one of the organizers of the Ness Creek music Festival.

“It’s a two hours north of Saskatoon by Big River. It’s a little like the South Country Fair. It draws about 4,000 people, but unfortunately it’s at the same time as South Country Fair, so I’m unable to go to South Country,” he said.

Incura inks new American record deal

A lot of work has come to fruition for Vancouver based, Lethbridge born vocalist Kyle Gruninger, whose melodic metal band Incura just inked a new U.S. record deal.

“ We released our first record in 2012 on Coalition Warner but we produced a lot of records independently,” said Gruninger, who is back in Lethbridge to perform ion New West’ Theatre’s production of “Starlight.” He moved to Vancouver in 2006 with the band and started making music and playing gigs and assembling a talented team to get behind the band.

“My career has been a brick and mortar career. So I don’t mind waiting. Coalition has been great to work with,” he said, adding he enjoys singing and making music. He released the first Incura record independently in 2001.

“If you’re going to fail, you might as well fail at something you enjoy doing rather than failing at something you don’t. I spent $20-30,000 on my career so far because if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will believe in you,” Gruninger said adding he is pleased people in high places are supporting him.

All his work attracted the attention of Rob Lanni, founder of Coalition Music, who approached Incura to manage the band in addition to other well known acts like Finger Eleven, Simple Plan and Our Lady Peace.

Not a lot going on to open 2018

Monday, 01 January 2018 23:19
Richard Amery

To borrow a line from the Odds’ Craig Northey’s theme to hit TV show Corner Gas “There’s not a lot going on” to open 2018, but there are excellent shows already planned, “so that’s why you can stay so long.”Calgary roots/ country musician Carter Felker brings his trio back to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Jan. 5.

If you enjoyed the Crooked Creek Warblers at the Slice this past weekend, get a second helping of the local roots duo at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Jan. 6. Richard Inman is also on the bill. Winnipeg folk punk musician Greg Rekus returns to host the ope mic at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Jan 9 with British singer/ songwriter Tim Holehouse.

Hippodrome play their usual early year show at the Slice on Jan. 6 with special guests, Calgary Celtic rock trio Three Finger Shot.

Open 2018 with laughs as Yuk Yuks Comedy returns to Average Joes, Friday, Jan. 5 with Garrett Clark, Matt Foster and hist Randy Webb. Tickets are $20 on the day of the show and $15 in advance. Earlier in the day, Casa features “Lunch and listen” featuring Lisa Mulgrew and pianist Zain Solinski.

Club Didi has an exciting January planned, including their first open mic of 2018, Jan 9.

The following week, the Windy City Opry opens their second year at the Slice with Kory Istace and Aryn El Hefe. The show begins at 8 p.m. sharp. There is a $10 cover.

The Lethbridge Folk Club opens the new year with Calgary rockabilly trio Peter and the Wolves, Saturday, Jan. 13. And the first ukulele jam of the year is at Casa, Jan. 14 from 2-3 p.m.

Later in the year there are a couple of bigger shows coming up. FlIPfest presents Duchess Says, Partner and WITS on Jan. 17.

The Slice also welcomes back Celtic rock band The Derina Harvey Band on Jan. 19.

The Snowed In Comedy Tour returns to Lethbridge at the end of January, with Craig Campbell, Pete Zedlacher, Paul Myrehaug and Dan Quinn making you laugh at Average Joes, Jan 26. Tickets are $35 in advance. So far February looks like it is going to rock. Stone Sour, Halestorm and the Dead Deads play the Enmax Centre, Feb. 1. Tickets are $58.

Tyrants of Chaos celebrate a very metal Christmas

Saturday night was the night to catch bands I haven’t seen for a while, and apparently was everybody’s night to hit the town. The Slice hosted a sold out “Very metal Christmas,” Dec. 16.

I missed Bring your own Bodies and Caste of Shadows, but caught local metal band Tyrants of Chaos, who played a set of mostly original, longer, epic length songs.

They were powered by Phil Sirias’s air raid siren vocals and chugging rhythm guitar from new guitarist Josh Nicol and screeching solos of Curtiss Vaselenak, which were highlighted by smoke and a brace of flashing stage lights.

They began with “Habitat of Insanity, and followed it up with “Ancient Cord of Coexistence.” “Trenchfoot,” featured some impressive bass playing by Paul Denton.